Tyler Posey says Teen Wolf: The Movie brings back the characters and supernatural setting that fans grew up loving, but gives them real-life challenges to which viewers might relate as 30-somethings.
The film sequel premieres Thursday on Paramount+. Written by Jeff Davis and directed by Russell Mulcahy, it sees Scott return to defend his fictional hometown of Beacon Hills, Calif., from a powerful malevolent force.
"It's 15 years later and we meet Scott in his mid-30s. Scott McCall is not a teen wolf anymore. He's a 30-year-old wolf," Posey recently told the crowd during a cast panel discussion at New York Comic Con.
"Beacon Hills carries a lot of weight for Scott -- emotionally, physically," Posey added. "He's constantly on edge, trying to save the world, trying to be the true alpha.
"Being an adult, he wanted to get away form Beacon Hills and start a new life, see what's out there [and] put down the hero role for a little while [because] that's all Scott knew ever."Posey said Scott has "lost himself a little bit" by the time he turns up again.
"He's doing stuff that a normal person would do. It's pretty intense seeing Scott live a mundane, normal life," the actor said.
"Since the last time the show was out, everyone grew up and now we are all adults."
"He added: It's the first time we see him dealing with depression, anxiety, loneliness as an adult and I thank you, Jeff, for writing that because it was fun to play that side of Scott."
Playing the part over a number of years gave Posey many opportunities to study and fine-tune his performance.
"You constantly get to watch your work and go, 'OK, I can improve in these moments and here and here.' The entire thing was like a learning lesson for me. Even though I've been acting since I was 6, I was still using the show as a means to improve my craft," he said.
"You never stop doing that. It is a muscle you always want to keep exercising and finding new ways to play the character.
Davis said one reason he wanted to revisit the Teen Wolf universe was to work again with Crystal Reed and finish the story she began as werewolf hunter Allison Argent in the first three seasons of the show.
"The idea started percolating," the writer recalled. "I said, 'Are you ready to pick up the bow and arrow again?' And we talked and there was magic still there."
Reed said she didn't need much convincing to reprise the role.
"I really love Allison as much as everyone else does," the actress said. "But I am always so humbled by the amount of support she gets because I just approach her from such an honest place."
"I know that I am bringing a lot of myself to it, so every time I hear that. it just makes me so grateful to be an actor and to know that I am doing my job and telling a story that affects people. I am just so grateful that I have the ability to bring Jeff's character to life."
Roden, who plays Lydia, said the cast was thrilled to work together again after such a long break.
"That reunion on screen is real," she said. "I hadn't seen Posey in a while and to see Lydia and Scott on screen. ... It's like a big hug."
Gesturing toward Haynes, she added, "This one, I see weekly, so that wasn't that emotional."
Haynes played Jackson -- Scott's nemesis, Lydia's ex-boyfriend and a lizard-like creature called a kanima -- in the first two seasons of the show.
"It's wild to think it's been 12 years since we did this and I am so happy that I got to come back," Haynes said about playing Jackson again.
"He's kind of annoying and a little bit of a prick and I have this monologue and [Posey] kept laughing in my takes and I was like, 'We're never going to get this done.' We're all so close. We're just excited to be here."
